Lord Triesman with Sepp Blatter, the disgraced Fifa president who presided over the awarding of 2022 to Qatar

A Sunday Times investigation claimed the Qatar bid to host the 2022 tournament allegedly employed dirty tricks to scupper their rivals, notably the US and Australia.

Targeting a key Fifa criteria which says bids should receive strong support in their own countries, Qatar paid a PR firm and ex-CIA agents to spread fake propaganda about rival bids not being backed in their own territories, according to a whistleblower.

The alleged use of the tactics, which would breach Fifa bidding rules, is the latest in a string of claims about the Qatar bid, which won the hosting rights in December 2010.

There were also concerns over footballing interest, with the hosts' national team, who have lost at home to Curacao and Liechtenstein in the past 12 months, set to receive a top seed for the group stage despite currently being ranked 98th in the world.

The Times claims Fifa president Gianni Infantino may use the row to pressure Qatar into expanding its tournament to 48 teams from the current 32, while also sharing hosting rights with neighbouring states.

A statement from Qatar 2022's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy rejected the latest revelations, saying: "We have been thoroughly investigated and have been forthcoming with all information related to our bid, including the investigation led by US attorney Michael Garcia.

"We have strictly adhered to all Fifa's rules and regulations for the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process."

The 350-page Garcia report, led by the governing body's independent ethics investigator, was submitted in September 2014 and after being held secret by Fifa for three years, was released last year after German newspaper Bild threatened to put out a leaked copy.